Browsing by Person "Jones, Sian"

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Adolescence: Traditional bullying
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020-01-13) Jones, Sian; Hupp, Stephen; Jewell, Jeremy
This entry gives a brief overview of the field of traditional bullying in adolescence, reviewing research internationally on the topic, to outline our current understanding of the problem. The entry begins by defining traditional bullying and its prevalence. Following this is a consideration of how traditional bullying manifests in adolescence, and its potential psychological developmental underpinnings at this life stage. Attention is also paid to the risk factors that increase the likelihood of traditional bullying in adolescence, and to the social context in which it plays out. The entry concludes with a review of intervention strategies that have demonstrated some success in reducing traditional bullying in this age group.
Alan Race and Jonathan Clatworthy, eds., What Christ? Whose Christ? New Options for Old Theories [Book review]
(Liverpool University Press, 2024-10) Tsai, Patricia Guernelli Palazzo; Parry, John; Adams, Graham; Dixit, Shruti; Amos, Clare; Rimerman, Hayyim; Clatworthy, Jonathan; Belloli, Jack; Ross, Cathy; Webster, Alison; Brierley, Michael; Baker, Christopher; Cross, Katie; Woodward, James; Grant, Iain; Turner, Victoria; Hellier, Graham; Dorsett, Mark R.; Chapman, Mark; Chandler, Andrew; Morgan, Robert; Cresswell, Rachel; Jones, Sian; Aldous, Benjamin; McLaughlin, Eleanor
Attitudes toward immigrants among the youth: Contact interventions to reduce prejudice in the school context
(Hogrefe Publishing, 2018-03-16) Jones, Sian; Rutland, Adam
In recent years in our increasingly globalized world in many countries we have seen the rise of anti-immigrant feelings among the youth. This has resulted in both discrimination against immigrants and negative psychological outcomes which harm both the individual and hinder social integration within society. In this article, we highlight how psychological research can play an important role in informing the design and conduct of educational interventions based on intergroup contact theory that are aimed at reducing prejudice toward immigrants. We review recent research showing anti-immigrant attitudes among the youth across the globe, and how these attitudes are related to parental and peer relationships. Research indicates that a color-blind approach to prejudice reduction among youth is not helpful and, in contrast, it suggests a more effective approach could be a multicultural approach to diversity, which celebrates both group differences and similarities while promoting social integration through quality contact between different social groups. Recent psychological research shows that this contact can take many forms, ranging from direct contact (i.e., cross-ethnic friendships), to extended contact (i.e., reading a book in which someone from your group has a positive interaction with someone from another group) and even imagined contact (i.e., engaging in imagined play involving characters from different groups having positive relations). The findings of this research demonstrate that it is possible to challenge anti-immigrant attitudes when and where they develop in young people.
Birds of a feather bully together: Group processes and children's responses to bullying
(Wiley, 2010-12-23) Jones, Sian; Manstead, Antony S. R.; Livingstone, Andrew G.
Recent research has shown that a group-level analysis can inform our understanding of school bullying. The present research drew on social identity theory and intergroup emotion theory. Nine- to eleven-year olds were randomly assigned to the same group as story characters who were described as engaging in bullying, as being bullied, or as neither engaging in bullying nor being bullied. Participants read a story in which a bully, supported by his or her group, was described as acting unkindly towards a child in a different group. Gender of protagonists and the bully's group norm (to be kind or unkind to other children) were varied. Identification affected responses to the bullying incident, such that those who identified more highly with each group favoured this group. Moreover, children's group membership predicted the group-based emotions they reported, together with the associated action tendencies. Implications for understanding the processes underlying bullying behaviour are discussed.
Book review of ‘Developing Inclusive Schools: Pathways to Success’ (Ainscow 2024)
(Brill, 2025) Earnshaw, Heather; Jones, Sian; Priestley, Andrea; Mouroutsou, Stella; Barrett, Louise
Book Review: Rafferty, E. (2022). From Inclusion to Justice: Disability, Ministry and Congregational Leadership. Texas: Baylor University Press.
(Liverpool University Press, 2024) Jones, Sian
Bullying and belonging: Social identity on the playground
(Routledge, 2017-02-01) Jones, Sian; Manstead, Antony S. R.; Livingstone, Andrew G.; Mavor, Kenneth I.; Platow, Michael J.; Bizumic, Boris
The group involved consisted of two girls and four boys, from different classes. They knew each other but were not close friends. The bullying took place in the school playground and on the way to and from school. It was in the form of physical attacks as well as name calling and had been taking place for three weeks. As school counsellor, the bullying incident was reported to me by the Head of Year. He had found out about the bullying from the target, who had bruising.
Bullying and belonging: Teachers’ reports of school aggression
(European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), 2014-04-25) Jones, Sian; Manstead, Antony S. R.; Livingstone, Andrew G.
Research on bullying has confirmed that social identity processes and group-based emotions are pertinent to children’s responses to bullying. However, such research has been done largely with child participants, has been quantitative in nature, and has often relied on scenarios to portray bullying. The present paper departs from this methodology by examining group processes in qualitative reports of bullying provided by teachers. Fifty-one teachers completed an internet-based survey about a bullying incident at a school where they worked. Thematic analysis of survey responses concerned two core themes in the reports: (a) children ganging up on another child and (b) children sticking together to protect each other. There was evidence that children act in specific ways, in line with social identity processes, in order to support or resist bullying. There was also evidence that teachers understand bullying to be a group phenomenon. The implications of these findings for anti-bullying interventions are discussed.
Children with physical or intellectual impairments and mental wellbeing
(Routledge, 2022-06-22) Jones, Sian; Uytman, Clare; Ali, Leanne; Dalnoki, Laura; Kaliff, Alicia; Lola-Luz, Daphne; Mackintosh, Morvern; McCune, Amanda; Muir, William; Uusitalo, Kiia; Mahmud, Arif; Satchell, Liam
With increasing inclusive practice in UK schooling, school staff and children are now more likely to encounter people with differing disabilities. There is growing literature on good practice to promote the wellbeing of children with dis/abilities in the classroom. Here, we review that literature. This chapter first reviews the different frameworks that are used to understand the meaning of dis/ability, and how children themselves conceive dis/ability. Then, we look at the evidence linking disability-based bullying, and responses to it, to wellbeing. We then look at research on what “wellbeing” means to children with dis/abilities and how they would like to see their wellbeing supported. Finally, we consider wider issues around classroom participation and the representation of children with dis/abilities. We consider the actions that may be taken with these in mind to bolster the wellbeing of children with dis/abilities.
Children’s humor types and psychosocial adjustment
(Elsevier, 2015-10-22) Fox, Claire; Hunter, Simon C.; Jones, Sian
Attempting to understand how humor styles relate to psychological adjustment by correlating these two constructs fails to address the emerging understanding that individuals use combinations of humor styles, and that different combinations may be differentially associated with psychosocial adjustment. Indeed humor types have been identified in adult samples (Galloway, 2010; Leist & Müller, 2013). The main aim of the study was to explore whether similar humor types are evident at a younger age and whether these types can be distinguished in terms of children's psychological and social well-being. Participants were 1234 adolescents (52% female) aged 11–13 years, drawn from six secondary schools in England. Self-reports of humor styles and psychosocial adjustment were collected at two time points, 6 months apart. A cluster analysis was performed using the child humor styles scores at Time 1. Four humor types were identified: ‘Interpersonal Humorists’ (high on aggressive and affiliative humor, low on self-defeating and self-enhancing humor), ‘Self-Defeaters’ (high self-defeating humor, low on the other three), ‘Humor Endorsers’ (high on all four humor styles), and ‘Adaptive Humorists’ (high on self-enhancing and affiliative humor, but low on aggressive and self-defeating humor). ‘Self-Defeaters’ scored highest in terms of maladjustment across all of the outcomes measured. Our analyses support the presence of distinctive humor types in childhood and indicate that these are related to psychosocial adjustment.
Children’s social appraisal of exclusion in friendship groups
(Springer, 2019-05-16) Jones, Sian; Rutland, Adam
Previous research has shown that group processes are particularly pertinent to children’s bullying, and who they socially exclude and include. This paper looks at how children’s responses to social exclusion change according to their friends’ group-based emotions. Children aged 8–11 years (N = 77) read stories about a friendship group to which they were said to belong and an instance of mild social exclusion. In the stories, the participants’ friends’ emotional reaction to the exclusion (pleased versus angry) was manipulated. Measures of assertive bystanding intentions and responses towards the friendship group and the social exclusion were taken. Children showed more assertive bystanding intentions when their friendship group was depicted as angry and they reported more anger when reacting to social exclusion. A mediation effect was found, with a perception of the friendship group’s emotion as anger being related to increased assertive bystanding, through an increase in the participant’s own anger towards their group’s act of social exclusion. This study is among the first to show that from 8 years of age, the social appraisal of group emotions can account for children’s reactions to social exclusion in a friendship group. Directions for future research in social appraisal of group-based emotion in social exclusion situations are discussed.
Children’s Understanding of Disabilities
(Routledge, 2021-04-13) Jones, Sian; Clough, Beverley; Herring, Jonathan
Since the publication of the Green Paper, Excellence for All Children (DfEE, 1997), concerning the education of children with disabilities, there has been an accelerating trend towards inclusive schooling in the UK. These changes mean that all children are more likely to encounter people with disabilities. Commensurately, there is a burgeoning psychological literature on the promotion of positive attitudes between people with and without disabilities in classrooms, and the community. Key to the promotion of positive attitudes is an awareness of the development of children’s understanding of disability. Research shows that two key factors underpin and enhance children’s understanding of disability: (a) cognitive development, and (b) social contact with people with a disability. In this regard, cognitive development leads to a more nuanced understanding with age, which might move from seeing disabled children as “ill” towards greater understanding of stereotypes and social barriers around disability. At the same time, peer interactions in the classroom, and vicarious contact, for example, through media channels, can influence children’s understandings, and in turn their responses towards peers with disabilities, in diverse ways. This chapter first reviews the international psychological research evidence surrounding children’s developing understanding of disability with age, covering physical, social, and intellectual disabilities. It then examines how cognitive- and social-developmental factors interact to form a child’s understanding and attitude towards disability, from the perspective of both children with, and without disabilities. Finally, it considers how this knowledge might inform interpretations of legislation aimed at providing a positive and inclusive classroom environment for all children, in practice.
Considering Social Justice: Lived Experiences of Education Students During the First Course Year.
(SAGE, 2022-12-23) Jones, Sian; Eady, Sandra; Craig, Linda
Increasing research focus is placed on how to embed social justice within Education degrees. This paper reports findings from the first two phases of a cohort study completed just before and at the start of the pandemic, which track Scottish Education students’ reflections on social justice at one university. We used three focus groups (n = 14) and surveys to analyse students’ (n = 45) definitions of social justice. Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System’s Theory and Saldana’s Analytical Coding framework we found that themes around prejudice, culture, policy, and emerging professional identity captured participants’ reflections as both beginning teachers and students of educational studies. Key to our findings was that fewer reflections of social justice were cited to global than to local contexts. This paper highlights ways in which university educators may conceive of social justice such that it is considered by students in both their immediate and in global contexts.
Creating a Cross-Race Effect Inventory to Postdict Eyewitness Accuracy
(American Psychological Association, 2025-07-28) Töredi, Dilhan; Mansour, Jamal K.; Jones, Sian; Skelton, Faye; McIntyre, Alex
Objective: The Cross-Race Effect (CRE) is a reliable and robust phenomenon, whereby individuals better recognize faces that belong to their race compared to another race. Our goal was to develop a self-report Inventory (i.e., CRE-I) that brings together known predictors of the CRE to improve postdiction of cross-race eyewitness accuracy. Hypotheses: We expected a CRE for White and Asian participants. We anticipated that developed CRE-I subscales would correlate positively with extant (some modified) scales and predict accuracy. Method: Participants completed four trials (two White targets and two Asian targets). For each trial, they watched a mock crime video, performed a distractor task, made a sequential lineup decision (target-present or target-absent), and indicated confidence in their lineup decision. After all trials, participants completed the potential items for the CRE-I. Results: We replicated prior findings of a CRE for White participants but did not find a CRE for Asian participants. Exploratory factor analysis produced an inventory (the CRE-I) with reliable scales for White eyewitnesses: general face recognition ability, race-specific face recognition ability, racial attitudes, quantity of contact, quality of contact, motivated individuation, and cognitive disregard. Responses to several scales predicted identification accuracy. In particular, three scales of the CRE-I predicted identification accuracy beyond the predictiveness of confidence: race-specific face recognition ability, racial attitudes towards White people, and motivated individuation of White people. Conclusions: Variables suggested separately by the perceptual expertise hypothesis and the social cognitive hypothesis predicted identification accuracy, providing support for integrative models of the CRE. The CRE-I contributes to the CRE literature both in terms of theory—by showing which factors among many may best relate to recognition—and practice—by improving evaluations of eyewitness reliability.
‘Disabled Joy is Resistance’: Insights and Recommendations from Social Psychology on Reducing Ableism
(Wiley, 2025-04-28) Jones, Sian
Ableism, encompassing discrimination and social oppression of disabled people, which results in their marginalization, persists as a significant global barrier to equity and inclusion. This paper explores how social psychological research can inform strategies to combat ableism by analyzing the social processes that underlie ableist attitudes and actions. Social Identity Theory speaks to the role of identity in countering the marginalization of disabled people, whilst the Stereotype Content Model helps us to understand the origins of the stigma often attached to ‘disability’. Research in these two fields is reviewed alongside discursive research in social psychology to determine how to work towards a more anti-ableist society. Based on my experience as a social psychologist and disabled person, and by integrating theoretical insights with practical applications, this paper advocates for a multi-level social psychological approach to building anti-ableist spaces, emphasizing educational and social policy recommendations.
Does Eyewitness Confidence Calibration Vary by Target Race?
(MDPI AG, 2026-02-10) Töredi, Dilhan; Mansour, Jamal K.; Jones, Sian; Skelton, Faye; McIntyre, Alex
After making a lineup decision, eyewitnesses may be asked to indicate their confidence in their decision. Eyewitness confidence is considered an important reflector of accuracy. Previous studies have considered the confidence-accuracy (CA) relationship—that is, the relationship between participants’ confidence in their lineup decision and the accuracy of that decision. However, the literature is limited and mixed concerning the CA relationship in cross-race scenarios. We considered the CA relationship for White and Asian participants and targets (fully crossed) using sequential lineups. Participants completed four trials (two White targets and two Asian targets). For each trial, they watched a mock-crime video, performed a distractor task, made a sequential lineup decision (target-present or target-absent), and indicated confidence in their lineup decision. White participants had higher identification accuracy with White than Asian targets, while Asian participants were similarly accurate with White and Asian targets. White participants’ confidence was better calibrated for White than Asian targets, except for when they had medium-high confidence (no difference). This finding is not only theoretically relevant—showing support for the optimality hypothesis—but also practically relevant—suggesting that the CA relationship may differ for target races at some levels of confidence.
Does the gender of the bully/victim dyad and the type of bullying influence children’s responses to a bullying incident?
(Wiley, 2014-02-07) Fox, Claire; Jones, Sian; Stiff, Chris E.; Sayers, Jayde
Children's responses to bullying are context related; they will vary depending on the specific bullying episode. The aim of the present study was to explore whether children's responses to bullying vary depending on the gender of the bully and victim and the type of bullying portrayed. In total, 437 children aged 9–11 years from four primary schools in the UK took part in the study. Each child read a story about one child bullying another. There were 12 different versions of the story, varying the type of bullying (verbal, physical, or relational/indirect) and the gender of the bully and victim (i.e., male bully—female victim, female bully—male victim, male bully—male victim, female bully—female victim). Each child was randomly allocated to one of the 12 stories. After reading the story the children then responded to a series of questions to assess their perceptions of the victim and bully and situation. Overall females liked the bully more than males; females also reported liking the female victim more than the male victim and females were more likely than males to intervene with a female victim. The bullying was viewed as more serious, more sympathy was shown to the victim, and there was a greater likelihood of intervention when the incident involved a female bully. There was less liking for the bully if the situation involved a female victim of physical bullying. The findings are explained in terms of social identity theory and social norms about typical male and female behavior.
Editorial
(The British Psychological Society, 2024-05-30) Jones, Sian; Wilkinson, Hannah; Holliman, Andrew
Editorial
(SAGE Publications, 2025-05-08) Sharp, Laura; Jones, Sian; Salh, Sukhwinder; Smith, Jan
Exploring the consistency and value of humour style profiles
(Taylor & Francis, 2020-05-12) Evans, Thomas; Johannes, Niklas; Winska, Joanna; Glinksa-Newes, Aldona; van Stekelenburg, Aart; Nilsonne, Gustav; Dean, Laura; Fido, Dean; Galloway, Graeme; Jones, Sian; Masson, Isla; Soares, Andre; Steptoe-Warren, Gail; Thompson, Neill; Ungson, Nick
Establishing generalisable humour style profiles promises to have significant value for educational, clinical, and occupational application. However, previous research investigating such profiles has thus far presented inconsistent results. To determine the generalisability and value of humour style profiles, a large and geographically diverse examination of humour styles was conducted through a cross-sectional questionnaire methodology involving 863 participants from across three world regions. Findings identify inconsistencies in the humour style profiles across countries tested and the extant literature, possibly indicative of cultural differences in the behavioural expression of trait humour. Furthermore, when directly compared, humour types, rather than humour styles, consistently provide the greatest predictive value for friendship and well-being outcomes. As such, with respect to both consistency and value, capturing humour style profiles appears to represent a relatively reductionist approach to appreciating the nuances in the use and consequences of humour.